D&D 5E I Failed My Kobayashi Maru Scenario

[wedgeski]

Why on earth did you quash it? Why would you send the message, to new players, that if their role playing goals and decisions don't mesh well with your mood at the moment, you will just make it all go away anyway regardless of what they do with their characters?

I think the OP is well aware of his mistake.

The thing to bear in mind is that these moments don't tend to come all that often, depending on the DM and players. If you've managed to create something that resonates with the players, grab it with both hands. You will never get a better opportunity to invest the players in the world than with an NPC that they've taken a liking to.

All is not lost! There are many ways forward. Imagine your players' delight when they find out that the next mission is to resurrect him, or find his twin brother, or free his tribe from their dragon overlord...

How would you guys have handled it? Let them keep him until he was able to escape? Make him a pet or mascot? Have him killed when the PCs get into combat?

Taking on monster NPC's as unofficial party members or mascots has become something of a meme in D&D over the last few years. I would definitely have integrated him into the party, with all the complications that could have brought...assuming of course, that the little fella would even want to do that.

 

[KarinsDad]

I dunno man, this seems like a particularly harsh and un-fun approach, particularly with new players. It shouldn't matter if you are tired of the Kobold, you're the DM and your players were loving the kobold and role playing it as part of their party goals. This is not the sort of situation one normally starts pulling out DM fiat to resolve so you as DM don't have to deal - and doubly so after you start to let them roll for things, they roll great, and you override their rolls anyway by killing the guy in a pit automatically (and you're thinking you should have instead just automatically let the kobold escape later...which seems just as harsh).

I mean, they came up with a role playing plan to sneak the kobold into town. They are digging this role playing challenge. They're doing what players should be doing, what you as DM should be thrilled with - changing the world with their actions in the game, and creating their own story.

Why on earth did you quash it? Why would you send the message, to new players, that if their role playing goals and decisions don't mesh well with your mood at the moment, you will just make it all go away anyway regardless of what they do with their characters?

What are you going to do now, if your players decide their new goal is to find a way to resurrect their kobold friend?

Dude. He made a mistake. Do you need to kick him while he's down? You never made a mistake at the table in the spur of the moment?

He realized that he made a mistake, he came asking for help and you come over and pile on him. What is the purpose of you posting this?

 

[MasterTrancer]

Let them earn back Snik: maybe a proxy of Kurtulmak challenges them for the soul of Snik, since he was growing fond of them as well, and its (his?) heart strayed from the true path of the kobolds (your players could be informed of this or not, depending on how you want them to see Snik in the future).

 

[MasterTrancer]

Oh, and BTW: mistakes happen, be grateful for a chance to learn something new...and be tenfold grateful for having deeply involved players!

 

[jrowland]

First, the last thing you'll want to do is re-con Snik back to life. Poor DM fiat piled onto Poor DM fiat doesn't make Good DM fiat. You'll have to get creative.

They key is to make it all seem like some elaborate plot you devised and executed flawlessly. So I would start with a "mysterious" voice guiding the PCs, taunting, whatever fits Sniks personality. They won't know its Snik at first, don't mak it obvious. Perhaps tie it to the MacGuffin, or a PCs sword, etc. Then, whenever the PCs are near Kobolds/Dragonborn/Reptiles/MacGuffin Sniks voice gains strength and they learn Sniks soul is trapped with them! Why do this? Because its a clever way to "keep Snik" and bring him into town without the authorities having issues. You could then have a small mini-adventure where they discover a way to "Unleash Snik", basically he appears as normal and can act like an NPC/Pet for a limited duration. This way, Snik can be "stowed away" when it fits and "unleashed" when its time to play. Snik can resent the PCs, and be a general pain, but he will also work with them if it mean getting a "permanent" body again...whether you do o not is up to you and the players.

Its win-win: Players get to keep Snik around and you get a way to "put him away" when its annoying to you.

 

[Khasimir]

"Snik know what yoo did lastest summerzes!"

LMAO!!!


There will be more Sniks, which is one of the unspoken beauties of D&D: Have them save a family of Kobalds (Snik's family?) from a group of CE humans who are on the verge of murdering them. Rescue a wounded and dying animal/humanoid. Solve a mystery for a local family. Have them save a small farmer from nasties terrorizing their livestock/farmstead.

The potential scenarios for another chance to emotionally invest in an NPC is nearly endless. Either way, excellent work sinking the hook!

 

[I'm A Banana]

I've actually found this exact situation quite a bit! Especially with newbies, but even people who've been around a lot.

The general idea is, weak, pathetic things engender sympathy in people.

The most satisfying thing would be to make him a sidekick. Maybe he's too weak to go on adventures with them, but maybe he becomes a successful assistant, someone who helps them out, who keeps a warren where they can keep their treasure, etc.

Having offed him, I think you might want to roll with the idea of bringing him back to life. Let 'em! Let 'em go to the Nine Hells to retrieve the soul of one lost kobold, let 'em find the diamond that will free its soul....and then keep 'em around!

 

[trentonjoe]

If it were me, I'd give the party a chance at braving the kobold afterlife to recover it's soul like mentioned earlier. Really give it some thought about the emotional payoff that would have for the players. It would also be a redemption quest for you, the dm. I know you're getting back into it but fiating the kobold dead wasn't a fun thing for them. I'd work on giving them a legit chance at bringing him back.

I like this as well. Have Snik appear to them in a dream, pleading for help because his soul is being tortured. The kids can then go on an adventure to free Snik's soul. When successful, the soul could then be reincarnated into anything. I have always had a good time rolling randomly on the reincarnation table.

 

[Astrosicebear]

Am I the only one thats OK with this outcome? I dont think he made a mistake, with new or veteran players. And none of that "its the DMs game nonsense" I know the boys liked the kobold.

Life in D&D is harsh. The gods are fickle and fate is a b....

Sure the DM made a call and the boys tried to prevent it. Even the dice gods tried to prevent it.

The DM learned his lesson, and the players learned theirs. They never bound the kobold too well, its escaped a bunch of times. How cruel is it to make something your slave? Why is everyone ok with indentured servitude? If the kobold was helpful and playful, then things might be different.

The boys are 11ish and the game will go on, with or without the kobold. The next time they capture a foe, and want to "keep it as a pet" they will learn harsher and crueler lessons about life than this.

In fact if they keep talking about it, their next adventure, one of the boys will be captured, and forced to be a slave to some lizardfolk. Even if they treat him well, lets see how well he likes it. Only then will Snik's death have a truly profound impact... true freedom.

 

[trentonjoe]

Am I the only one thats OK with this outcome? I dont think he made a mistake, with new or veteran players. And none of that "its the DMs game nonsense" I know the boys liked the kobold.

Life in D&D is harsh. The gods are fickle and fate is a b....

Sure the DM made a call and the boys tried to prevent it. Even the dice gods tried to prevent it.

I think that's the players need to adapt to the world philosophy and opposed to the world needs to adapt to the players.